Digest

Long Beach : Free-Parking 'Gift' Denied

Activist Dan Rosenberg wanted areas with severe parking problems to be given a Christmas present: free parking. But the Long Beach City Council told him this week that it would be too expensive.

Rosenberg asked the council to suspend street-sweeping citations and collection of parking meter fees from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1.

But city officials said suspending the fees would deplete money from the city's general fund, which pays for fire, police and other services. Long Beach collects nearly $25,000 a day from parking and street-sweeping citations, according to City Manager James C. Hankla.